Fire and Ice
by Annabeth-Artemis
Summary: *Discontinued* Jack is used to being the only one like himself. In fact, he prefers it that way. He doesn't compete, contest, or rival. Unfortunately for him, Lily doesn't think the same way. R&R! JackxOC.
1. A Very Fiery Christmas Eve

**Before I say anything else, I just want to say this is my new favorite movie.**

**So yeah. Um... I don't own Rise of the Guardians or any characters except Lily and a few others that come in later.**

**Love you guys! R&R for free cyber-ice cream :)**

**~AA**

* * *

Jack has a rival.

You already knew that, you say? Bunnymund? No, no. He's just a victim of Jack's endless teasing. Not a rival.

A rival is someone equal in power whom you have competed with-or will compete with. And Jack's rival happens to be the spirit of summer. Funny thing, fate is.

Especially when those pesky little things called feelings get in the way of your rivalry.

* * *

Jack hovered far above the earth, his staff strapped to his back. His electric-blue eyes scanned the snow-blanketed town beneath him, checking for bare patches, places he hadn't sent snow. No, he'd been especially thorough. He had to make sure everything was perfect. It was Christmas Eve, after all. North'd have his hide if it hadn't snowed Christmas Eve in the middle of Pennsylvania.

Jack nose-dived toward the chimney of the house directly under him and unscrewed the chimney topper. It was a pain to have to shove the fat old man through a closed chimney.

Then he noticed something. The snow that fleeced the roof was clumping and slipping down the gutter, and it looked like it was melting. The flat, gray sky broke, pouring sunlight through the tear in the otherwise constant clouds.

What was happening?

"Bunny must've popped up somewhere near here," Jack mumbled and waved his staff, sewing up the crack in the clouds and renewing the snow on the roof with a blast of freezing air.

"Oh, come on." A silky, lilting voice came from behind him. "Be a good sport and let me have a moment. It's not every Christmas Eve I get to have some fun."

Jack whirled around. It was definitely not Bunnymund. Hovering six feet away was a long-legged, mischievous-looking girl that looked around his age. She was garbed in an unseasonal green-and-purple dress that looked like it was made out of leaves and flowers. Her burgundy corkscrew curls stuck out from her head every which way, even though they appeared to be tied back in an attempt at a braid. Her petite nose and cheeks were crimson, but her emerald eyes sparkled with teasing. Slender hands curled around a split-ended staff that radiated the same warmth and colors as a fireplace.

"Who are you?" He demanded. "And why are you messing with my weather?"

Her face contorted. "You did this? Ugh, for once, can't there be decent weather on Christmas Eve in Pennsylvania?" She sighed, and a piece of hair floated over her forehead. "I'm Lily," she continued, pushing the hair back. "Spirit of summer and warmth, and mischief and fun."

Jack thought he hadn't heard right. "But... _I'm_ the spirit of mischief and fun."

"I think I existed way before you did, buddy. What's your name?"

"Jack." He was still miffed at the fact she claimed to be the spirit of fun. "Jack Frost. And I'm three hundred and seventeen."

Lily arched an eyebrow. "I'm three hundred sixteen." Realization dawned on her features. "Oh, you're the guy that saved the world from Pitch?" She circled him, like a predator circling its prey. "You're a little scrawny. And pale. What do you do, sit around inside all day whenever there's a bit of sun out?" She had a slight British accent.

He rolled his eyes. "At least I don't dress in plants. You know what century this is, sunshine?"

"Oh, shut up. It's my mom. I don't like wearing it, but-" She squirmed inside the dress. "She says it's more 'appropriate' to my 'title.' In all honesty, it's itchy and heavy."

Jack snorted. "You still live with your mom?"

Lily's face grew even redder. "For your information, Frosty the Snowman, my mother is-" She stopped. "You know what? Never mind. I probably shouldn't tell you. You'd just tell your precious little North that I'm the daughter of-"

In spite of himself, Jack leaned forward.

"Never mind!" Lily's voice was flustered, strained.

"Now I see why I'm the famous one. I bet you've been warned to shut up, eh?" Jack smirked at her and shook his white hair out. "Face it. People like winter. It's Christmas and ice skating, snowball fights and hot chocolate, snow days and vacations. Kids love me. In the words of a great philosopher, "it's the most wonderful time of the year!'"

"Maybe," Lily hissed. "But kids also love me. Summer vacation, idiot. There's nothing kids love more than summer vacation. Swimming, for one thing." She started counting off on her fingers. "Going to the beach. Getting a tan. Surfing. The Fourth of July. Even the Beach Boys are smart enough to see that summer's the better season."

"They're eighty!"

"You're three hundred and seventeen!"

Jack clenched his teeth and pointed his staff at her. Blue energy buzzed at the tip. Lily gripped hers, too, and a blazing red flame crackled to life.

"You know," Lily shouted, hair whipping completely out of the braid now in the conflicting freezing and burning winds, "I'm just as powerful as you. I could easily make it summer tonight. Imagine all those kids waking up to blue skies and shorts weather! They'd be overjoyed!" A dreamy look came over her face.

This made Jack even angrier. His icy winds howled full force. "You think they wouldn't want to wake up, rush downstairs, rip open their presents, and then go and have a snowball fight? Sunshine, you have no idea what Christmas is really like."

She wrinkled her little nose and fired off a blast of warm energy from her staff. Jack leapt out of the way and sent his own blast, as cold as hers had been hot. She dodged it and her winds swirled angrily, melting all the snow on the roof at unearthly speeds.

"Hey!"

A new voice, this one higher pitched, somehow overcame the sounds of fighting. It caught Jack off guard and his powers, fueled by anger, died down. Lily's did too, and soon the wind faded from roaring to just a gentle whistling.

A boy, about nine or ten, poked his head out the window. Brown eyes narrowed. "Jack?"

"Jamie?" Jack was baffled. He was standing on Jamie's house and hadn't even realized it.

"Jack, normally I wouldn't care, but it's really loud and I'm trying to study for my math test." He frowned. "What are you doing, anyway?"

Lily glanced at Jack smugly and waved with one tiny hand. In a flash of fire, she was gone. Jack cursed silently.

"Um... sorry, Jamie. Just got a little carried away with the wind." He shrugged nonchalantly and worked his face into a casual expression.

Jamie grinned. His face was so innocent, Jack felt a little bad about lying to him. "It's okay. Just... in the future, make windstorms on someone else's house, kay?"

Jack laughed and blew some snow in the kid's direction. After Jamie had gone, the white-haired boy soared off the roof and let the freezing blustery air carry him north.

"To the North Pole, winds."


	2. Be Nice to Her, Jack

**So, so sorry it took so long for me to upload this, I was just pondering the direction in which I would take it xD**

**Don't own Rise of the Guardians.**

**R&R!**

**~AA**

* * *

"You did _what?_" North thundered, smashing the toy train he held into tiny pieces in his meaty hands.

Jack cringed. Ordinarily, he wouldn't mind being in North's workshop, with its gruff-but-friendly yeti and short, soldierlike elves. But when the big guy himself was in a temper, you better get out when you can.

"Look, it was harmless," Jack muttered. "It wasn't a real fight. And besides... why do you care? She wasn't anyone important, just a fire spirit with a bad attitude."

"No, she was not." North inhaled and exhaled like he was hyperventilating. "Jack, you met Mother Nature's daughter."

Jack choked on the cookie he was biting into. He spluttered and wiped crumbs off his mouth. "But she said you didn't know who her mother was."

North rolled his eyes. "Oh, do not get me started on twisted tongue of Mother Nature. She would lie to own children for fun, which was what she probably told her _Lily_. Why do you think weathermen are often wrong? Is why she doesn't like you, Jack. You have control over something she does not."

"So... she wants to take me down." Jack frowned, thoughtfully twirling his staff and sending a blast of ice at an elf, freezing it in its tracks. "That's why she sent her daughter?"

"Precisely. So getting in spat with her-right before Christmas-will not be good for sleigh, or children's belief in me or you. But you didn't bring up Christmas, did you?" North's stern face grew somehow sterner.

Jack winced. He remembered Lily's dreamy face when she talked about a summery Christmas morning. She couldn't, could she? Or at least... she wouldn't. She should know not to mess with nature _that_ far. He hoped. He decided not to mention it to North. "Of... of course not."

"Good." North seemed to visually relax. "Elves! Bring more cookies."

Jack took off after another half hour of weird-tasting cookies and watching not-so-jolly Old Man Winter boss around his minions. It wasn't as exciting as it sounded. He flipped in the wind, making his way back to Burgess.

A few hours later, he arrived in Burgess. Luckily, the snow still matted the ground, but the clouds were clearing. Jack scowled and plopped a few more clouds in the sky. _I won't let her mess with me._

"Hey."

_Crap._

Lily stood on the roof below him, looking cold and pale. Her eyes, bright emerald the last time Jack had seen her, were a muted jade, and her crimson hair whipped around in the freezing wind. She wasn't holding a staff.

She looked nothing like herself, but that made Jack suspicious.

"Go away," Jack growled, staff glowing. "You don't want to mess with me right now."

"I'm not messing with you." Lily twisted a little gold ring on her finger. "I just need somewhere to go. I-I mean, I'm just... cold."

The winter spirit snorted. "Yeah, right. Go cry to your mother. What's her name-Mother Nature?"

At this, Lily seized up and her eyes became tinted red. It looked like she was about to cry. "It wasn't her. It was my sister's fault... she said it was..."

"What?" In spite of himself, Jack frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"Nothing. Never mind, I shouldn't have b-brought it up..." She really looked freezing. Her arms were wrapped around herself tightly.

"You know what? I don't believe you." But inside, a rocklike feeling sunk to his stomach.

Lily's head bowed, and she sunk to her knees. "It's just like you. Whatever, maybe I can find someone who believes in some obscure summer spirit to get me a blanket."

"Doubtful." He twirled his staff, though it was halfhearted. He took off.

His fingers trembled on his staff as he soared away from the girl on the roof. It was as if his brain was shouting, "It's Lily. She's nothing. She almost killed you," but his instincts were whispering, "She's still a powerless girl. She might die."

He squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his fists, then dove toward the roof. He landed softly next to her, slung his staff over his back, and picked her up in both arms. She was unconscious now, mouth slightly open. Her normally gold skin and pink lips (why did he notice the color of her lips?) were pale and blue, and even blacked out, she shivered. Jack flew off the roof and circled the neighborhood a few times until he found Jamie's house. He alighted by the window but hid next to it. A latticework of frost flowered over the window, Jack's signal to the boy that he'd arrived. It told Jamie that Jack had been there if Jamie wasn't in his room, and gave a subtle signal if his parents were. After a few seconds, brown eyes looked back at him through the window.

"Jack!" The little boy said happily, pushing up the window with a grunt. "I really wanted you to come! Do you know anything about second grade?" His face was hopeful as a lock of brown hair slipped across his eyes.

"Sorry, Jamie. I came because I have to help someone. She's unconscious because she got really, really cold. I don't know if you can see her, but I'm holding her." He tilted his head. "Can you see her? She's the spirit of summer. Her name's Lily. You have to believe in her."

Why was he sounding so earnest?

Jamie blinked, looking confused, then his face cleared. "I think I see her. Does she have red hair?"

Jack breathed. "Yeah. She needs a thick blanket and hot chocolate. Can you ask your-"

Jamie nodded. "I think Mom's making some for Santa. Stay here with her, Jack." Then he scurried out of the room.

_Oh, joy. I get to stay with Princess Burn-Your-Head-Off,_ the winter spirit thought, annoyed. He had been hoping Jamie would just take care of her and send her on her way.

"Okay. Let's get you in bed," Jack muttered and edged Lily under the covers of Jamie's short, twin bed. Her burgundy hair was splayed all over the pillow, reminding Jack eerily of blood. A little color had returned to her cheeks and lips, though she still was paler than she should've been. Jack closed the open window, blocking out the frigid wind, and pulled over the faded, lumpy armchair he always sat in to talk with Jamie.

Jack slipped off his staff, pulled the faded, boy-sized armchair next to the bed, and slumped into it. For a few minutes, there was silence but for the tick-tick-ticking of the little boy's clock and the muffled humming sound of the heater. He studied Lily's delicate face really for the first time, unconsciously memorizing each crinkled line in her forehead and the shades and shadows her nose and toast-colored eyelashes and brows cast over her cheeks.

_She'd be fun to draw,_ Jack mused.

Without warning, Lily's eyelids slit open. She let out a little shriek and twitched away from him. "What... what the hell are you doing here?"

Well, she was just as rude as ever. Jack took that as a good sign.

The winter spirit leaned back in his chair. "Of course. You don't have to thank me for saving your damned life when I could've easily left you there to freeze. Not even a 'thank you, Jack, I really appreciate it'?"

"Shut up. Where am I?" Lily's eyebrows knit together in confusion instead of anger this time.

Jack stared at the door, willing Jamie to come back. Maybe they could speak telepathically. But the door didn't swing open with the little boy balancing steaming hot chocolate mugs shaped like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer in his hands. "You're at Jamie's house. He's a little mortal kid who was my first believer. Yours, too, now that I think about it."

"Spare me the sentiments, Frost. I have to get-I mean, I have to leave. Where's the door?"

"You're not leaving. You have to finish warming up before you can even attempt to leave. Jamie's bringing hot chocolate. Where is he, anyway?" Jack muttered under his breath.

Lily groaned and flopped back onto the pillow. "Great. My natural state of delicious warmth has left me. I really need-"

The door banged open, and in walked Jamie, holding a tray and peering at it intensely to avoid sloshing the Christmas mugs that perched on top of it. He set the tray down on his nightstand and noticed Lily's open eyes and frustrated expression. "Oh, you're awake! I'm Jamie." His brown eyes widened with surprise. "You're really pretty," he said shyly, a blush creeping over his cheeks.

"Thank you, Jamie. I'm Lily." Her mouth tilted into a smile. "I'm sure I look better now that I'm not about to die of hypothermia."

The little boy answered so quickly, he almost spilled the mug he was handing her. "Yeah, you do. Um, do you need more blankets?"

Jack rolled his eyes and folded his arms as Jamie asked her if she needed anything else, if the pillow was soft enough, if her hot chocolate was too hot (he could add cinnamon if she liked, after all "that was how he liked it"), and whether or not she had a boyfriend. Was she immortal, too? If so, she could wait for him to get older and then he'd ask her out. Lily took tiny sips of her cocoa and answered all his questions with the same tiny, smug grin she'd given Jack when she'd disappeared earlier.

"So you're the spirit of summer? That makes sense, because you're really-"

"Jamie, Lily has to leave soon," Jack interrupted, finally rising from his chair and gripping his staff. "Like, now."

Jamie glared at him and mouthed, _I'm talking to a pretty girl. I want her to stay._ Lily, however, finished her hot chocolate in one last draught and, with effort, rose from the bed. "No, Jamie, Jack's right. After all, since he saved my life, he's got to take me back to my mother's since I can't do it on my own. And I'm sure Mr. Frost is a _very busy_ winter spirit, especially with tomorrow being Christmas and all." She smiled sweetly. "So we should leave now. But I can come back sometime, after I fix-I mean, after winter's over."

Jamie nodded like he was in a trance. "Yeah, okay, Lily." He opened the window. Jack and the summer spirit crawled through it one after the other. Lily waved. "Bye, Jamie."

"Bye," the little boy said, blushing red and shutting the window behind them. "Be nice to her, Jack."

_Great._


	3. The Crystal Palace and Other Terrors

**I am so sorry. Agh. It's been like a week and a half since I updated last. Just kill me now.**

**I made it extra long just for you guys :3**

**Don't own ROTG :)**

**R&R!**

**~AA**

* * *

Lily was so cold.

They were far past Burgess now, and Lily had given Jack the instructions to get back to her home. It wasn't too far from the town itself, only about and hour by wind from Burgess. Snow painted the countryside below in shadows and cotton, and she had to admit it was beautiful, especially from so high up. Flurries of tiny snowflakes landed on her nose, her bare arms and legs. The sky was a perfectly smooth shade of smooth, endless eggshell. She was the only burst of purple-and-green color among the wintry blandness, and felt out of place, but her normally itchy, uncomfortable dress gave her a sense of home.

But she was still so cold. _And Jack's making me shiver._

How easily he held her, though. Like she weighed no more than his staff. His arm wrapped around her waist, and she had to hold him to keep from falling. Every time he moved, another shiver went up her spine; yet, it wasn't from cold, at least not completely. His face was twisted into some form of a determined expression as he navigated his way toward her home, and it made her want to laugh.

_...It's actually kind of cute_, she thought.

Then she mentally shook herself. _Lily, get a grip. He's the enemy, and he'll always be the enemy. Mum's always told you that. Summer and winter do_ not_ go together. You don't even like him. You think he's a stuck-up, self-centered pig who doesn't know when to quit._

_...And who smells like mint._

She groaned. What part of her brain was this? This was probably just because this was the closest physically she'd ever really been with a boy her age. It didn't matter who it was. Her hormones were as crazy as a teenage girl's, and they'd been that way for a little over three hundred years. It didn't matter who the hell it was.

"You okay?"

Jack had twisted his head over to look at her, and his focused look was replaced with one of amusement. Dammit, he'd heard her groan.

"Uh, yeah. Just really, really cold." Lily's muscles tensed. "Why do you care? You're just my chauffeur."

"Easy, tiger." Jack lifted an eyebrow. "I was just wondering because I don't usually like my passengers turning into blocks of ice; it makes them heavier to carry. So what happened to your staff?"

The summer spirit narrowed her eyes. What game was he playing? "Like you don't know."

Jack's salt-and-pepper eyebrows knitted. "What are you talking about? Of course I don't know."

This took Lily by surprise. From what little she knew of Jack, he might be a self-centered chauvinist pig, but that didn't make him a liar. He'd probably laugh and make some sarcastic comment, or not reply at all and give her that infuriating smirk, but he wouldn't directly lie-and especially not so convincingly.

"You took it." Her voice was small, and the baseless accusation even sounded weak to her.

Jack rolled his eyes. "Obviously. Because I just /live/ to take your stuff and ruin your life. Darlin', you need an ego check. Not everything is about you." His face hardened.

Anger, hot and immense, swelled inside her like a balloon and replaced her uncertainty. "Oh, _I'm_ the one that needs an ego check, Mister 'I-Can-Do-Whatever-I-Want-Because-I'm-Jack-Famous-Frost'? Guys like you make me sick."

"Oh yeah? I seriously doubt you want to talk to me like that when I'm taking you home. I wonder how well you'd survive if I dropped you in the snow? And this time..." He leaned close to her, nose brushing hers. "I wouldn't come back."

Lily could feel blood rushing to her cheeks. Luckily, they were already ruddy with cold, so he probably couldn't tell. But even her sharp tongue couldn't wield its sword to his, and no response to his threat came to mind.

They flew in silence.

* * *

"We're almost there," Jack told her flatly as suddenly, the snow stopped blowing so fiercely. It died to a gentle flurry, then the clouds started clearing. A patch of turquoise sparkled from a midafternoon sun, shedding beautiful, comfortable warmth over them.

A feeling of immense happiness washed over her. So what if her staff had disappeared and her mother was blaming it on her sister, even though she blamed it on Jack? She looked down at the pearly gray castle below. The spires and turrets reached up to the sky, delicate roses, forget-me-nots, and lilies crawling up the walls. Warm golden light poured from every window, and the lawn that surrounded the castle at least twenty acres across was a summery emerald green, dotted here and there with different types of wildflowers. Green hills feathered with purple heather surrounded the small valley.

Lily was home. And that was all that mattered. A huge smile spread across her face as she looked at her carrier.

Jack was red. Bright red, like a tomato. "Is it supposed to be this hot on Christmas Eve in Pennsylvania?" He fanned himself with his staff, a cold breeze floating their way.

"This isn't technically Pennsylvania..." Lily mused. "Somewhere protected from the politics, war and humanity of America. It's hidden. People fly and drive right through it. Isn't it beautiful?" She grinned happily.

Jack rolled his eyes as more cold air blew over them, and he dipped toward the castle. "Sure, for a nature-loving fr-"

"If you say freak, I will cut off your balls." Lily jumped down once they got close enough to the ground. "Welcome to the castle. Well, you're not really welcome, but you get the picture." She paused when he didn't leave, just stood there looking around with curiosity. "So... you'll be going now?"

"Just wait." The staff revolved around him, causing a mini snowstorm just in his space. "It's actually pretty cool here-not like that," he added hastily when she glared. "I wanna explore."

Lily arched her eyebrows. "Look, we don't like each other. Usually when that happens, people don't talk to each other except for bitingly witty jabs. Which also means not going to their houses-hey!"

The winter spirit had disappeared inside the mahogany front doors and was flying around, causing coats of ice to crackle over the plants that curled up the winding stairs, glass walls and a floor made of grass. The sun shone through a cobalt sky above, and small, wispy clouds floated over their heads in a strikingly realistic ceiling.

"How come it doesn't look like this from the outside? And how could I have ever missed this place flying over it before?" He touched pieces of overstuffed furniture that were scooted against the walls.

"Frost, get off my stairs!" She ran inside, hair cascading behind her. "Those are _pure crystal!_"

"If you never walk on them, why do you have them?" He narrowed his eyes irritatingly.

She rolled her eyes. "You've had your fun, now get out of my-"

"-house?" A new voice, feminine, sweet, and British-accent-laced resonated throughout the huge room. "Yes, I was just about to say the same thing, darling. Jack Frost, get out of my house."

Jack twisted around, his expression of glee morphing into one of confusion.

The woman who stood there would make supermodels self-conscious. Her rippling golden hair met her waist and was braided with pure diamond pins that caught the light sharply. She had perfect features, toned arms and long legs. Gold cuffs circled her biceps, and she wore a sheer white Greek chiton that was tied at her impossibly thin waist. Her eyes changed colors from sapphire blue to spring green, thunderstorm gray and warm, chocolatey brown. She could've been sixteen or thirty.

"Hello, Mother," Lily said wearily.

"Hello, Lily." Mother Nature's voice was icy, eyes dark gray, though her smile was white as soft summer cotton. "Hello, Jack Frost. I'm Mother Nature, but you can call me Isla."

* * *

Jack was stunned. He knew Mother Nature was Lily's mother. He just didn't know she'd be so...

Intimidating?

Yeah, that was it.

They were sitting at a round, crystal table facing each other in an ornate dining room that looked like it was carved from pure crystal. Jack's staff hovered over him like a portable air conditioner. Light streamed in from outside. Silver goblets filled with a steaming golden liquid sat in front of each of them, making Jack suspicious. He never trusted pretty drinks. Servants, male, female, human and other glided past them with whispery swishing noises, bearing trays with no food and cups with no beverage. Silvery music played from invisible speakers. Isla took a draught from her cup and set it back down with a clang.

"Mom-" Lily began.

"Hush." The elegant woman's gaze was fixed on Jack, making him tense. "You haven't taken a drink. Do you not like mead?"

Jack frowned. "Mead?"

She flicked her eyes to Lily and took another long drink. "Fermented honey."

"Oh." Jack hesitatingly took a sip and spluttered. "It's sour."

Isla ignored him as a dark-haired servant girl filled her goblet again, the mead sloshing into the cup. "So, Lily. You didn't tell me you had a boyfriend," the blonde woman hissed as the servant girl turned away.

Simultaneously, Jack and Lily burst with cries of "Hell no" and "We are _not_ dating."

"That would never happen in a million years," Lily huffed.

"A billion," Jack added, glancing over at her.

Isla laughed musically, eyes turning from stormy gray to leaf-green. "Of course not. So why are you still here, then? Especially on a busy Christmas such as this one?"

And that was when Jack realized that Mother Nature, or Isla, was only being polite because Lily hadn't killed him yet. Her daughter wasn't vulnerable-Jack was positive she knew all types of martial arts even without her staff-but she wasn't completely hostile, either. Jack had saved her life and carried her back home. Lily owed him, and Mother Nature could sense that. In one swift moment, Jack made a decision. The winter spirit should've just told her he would be leaving, that he had work to do, blah blah blah. But instead he heard himself snapping, "Well, I'm here for the five-star hospitality, of course."

Everything stopped. The music, the servants, the light. A cloud drifted over the sun and cast a grayish veil over the room.

"Jack," Lily warned under her breath.

"What?" He rose to his feet too quickly, knocking over the goblet of mead in front of him. The liquid crawled over the table, inch by precious inch, until a drop slipped to the edge where Isla was sitting, stretched through the air and dropped right onto her snowy lap. A dark, furious look came over her face.

The summer spirit next to him clapped her hands to her mouth. Servants began chattering nervously and dabbing at Isla's dress daintily. She murmured thanks, but her eyes were flat black as she stared at Jack. "We'll be excused, now."

Their goblets (all of them) were whisked away, the table cleaned off. Isla hooked her arms through Lily's, then Jack's, but to Jack it felt more like a straitjacket than a hostess's polite gesture. She guided them out of the kitchen, down a few halls, and through a small black door that didn't match the rest of the house. The room was small, dimly lit, and had walls lined with darkly wooded cabinets. She pushed them inside, locked the door, and turned on her heel to face them. Her beautiful eyes glittered with malice.

"Jack Frost. I hate you. Do you know why?"

Jack mockingly tapped a finger to his chin. "Let's see... I'm so awesome more people believe in me than you or your daughters?" But a feeling like a rock sank to his stomach. He felt nauseous.

"No," Isla snapped, crossing the room to a cabinet adorned with a lock at least a foot across. It was covered in miniature keyholes, twenty or more at least. "No, Frost. I hate you because you should be my daughter. Or son."

"That's a little weird," Jack replied, staring up at his staff, still floating above his head. "I mean, you don't seem like the best mom."

Lily shook her head furiously, as if to say, _Shut up. I don't like you, but she _really_ doesn't like you._

Isla cocked her chin up, drawing a huge keyring out of nowhere and beginning to pluck each tiny keyhole open. There was a tinkling _click_ with each keyhole opened. "I would advise against sarcasm, Jackson Overland Frost. Because poking fun does nothing to help you. The sooner you learn that, the less likely chance you'll have of being brutally murdered." _Click._

"Oh. Good."

"I want your power, Jack Frost. And you would be surprised at how easily I can take it, just as I took Lily's." Isla's eyes flashed like lightning, and Lily's face paled. "Mother...? You took it? But you said-"

"Oh, you honestly believed that cock-and-bull about your sisters?" Her mother interrupted impatiently. "Emerald's too stupid to think of that, and Autumn's too nice. Of course it was me." _Click._

"But... why?" Lily's lip trembled, and for the first time, Jack felt a twinge of sympathy.

Isla rolled her eyes. _Click._ "I raised you. Trained you. Gave you your powers. Do you know why?"

Lily shrank back.

"Your seventeenth birthday is in three days, Lily. Everyone assumes it's eighteen that's important, but seventeen..." She shook her head. "Your powers are the strongest. I took your staff because I can absorb your powers. And with it, your life." _Click._

Lily stepped back and clutched at her chest, as if she could feel herself draining away. "But..."

Isla continued, "And you, Jack Frost, are next."

_Click._


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm really sorry, you guys. I haven't posted in forever, but I will really soon. Life is stupid. Holidays have caught up with me, and I've been spending time with family. :)**

**Ummmm… so it'll be a couple more days, but then I'll update. Promise. Thanks, guys!**


	5. Author's Note

**Hey, guys…**

**So I can practically feel your annoyance. I know you're probably super ticked at me for abandoning you for four months… so I should probably tell you I'm discontinuing the story. My life's been really crazy lately and I haven't had time to do a really good chapter for you guys. Maybe if I get the chance I MIGHT update sometime this year (maybe during the summer, when I'm not swamped with homework and school and friends and life :P). But until then, au revoir~**

**~AA**


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